Trumpcare’s opponents had a win on Tuesday when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell delayed a vote on the Republican healthcare bill. But even as they cheered, organizers cautioned against relaxing. McConnell is not giving up. But neither are we. Senators are headed home for recess, and even if most won’t hold town halls, they can’t entirely hide from constituents over the July 4 holiday.
“This is a huge, huge, huge win — but it’s not a victory,” said Angel Padilla, the policy director at the progressive group Indivisible, describing lobbying plans during the weeklong recess.
“When senators go home, they need to see how many constituents don’t want this bill,” he said. “They can’t even be thinking about voting for this bill when they come back.”
Emily Tisch Sussman, the campaign director for the Center for American Progress, a liberal Washington think tank, said she was encouraging protesters rallying around her on Tuesday to speak to their representatives at holiday events and parades back home.
“They love to be accessible there,” she said. “We expect them to hear from their constituents.”
Ask them to hold town halls, and if they say no, make sure the local media knows about it. Go to their district offices and politely ask for meetings. If they won’t hold a town hall or meet with your group to talk, well, they’ll probably march in a July 4 parade somewhere. Go hold a sign along the parade route. If they’re shaking hands after the parade, go up and shake their hand and politely tell them what you think. Keep calling their offices.
We delayed Trumpcare—for now. But the GOP leadership is hell-bent on denying health insurance, and is working hard to coerce Republican senators. We need three Republicans to stand firm. Call your senator at (202) 224-3121 and tell them “NO DEAL.” Then, tell us how it went.
